Burglar alarm switch



Patented July 6, 1954 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE BURGLAR ALARM SWITCHFrank M. Brown, Vaughan, N. 0. Application June 15, 1953, Serial No.361,536

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates generally to burglar alarms and more particularlyto a novel footactuated alarm system adapted to enable an employee of abank or other business establishment to provide an actual signal to thepolice or other law-enforcing authority that a holdup is presently inprocess at that establishment.

The primary object of this invention resides in the provision of aswitch which is adapted to be positioned coextensive with a counter in abank or like establishment and beneath the counter and so positioned asto enable a clerk or teller to actuate an alarm in a police station eventhough his hands are raised up over his head while a holdup is inprogress.

The incorporation of this burglar alarm in a business establishmenteliminates chances for successful perpetration of robberies and, hence,will result in the saving of great sums of money.

The construction of this invention features upper and lower,substantially U-shaped insulative elongated members which are adapted tobe positioned beneath the counter and which run continuously andcoextensively with the counter so that no matter where the clerk orother employee is standing he may readily actuate the signal device.Throughout the length of these U-shaped insulative members are a seriesof contact members resiliently held apart by a coil spring positionedover insulative sleeves on the contact members. necessary to actuate thealarm can readily be controlled, thereby enabling even a light pressureto close the contacts while selectively preventing an alarm being givenby falling papers or other light weight objects.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in theprovision of a burglar alarm that is strong and durable, veryunobstrusive in appearance, easily manufactured and installed in variousexisting commercial establishments and in new buildings, and which maybe readily manufactured out of plastic materials such as the syntheticresins and out of suitable conductive metals whereby maintenance isnegligible.

These, together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which thisburglar alarm can be utilized during a holdup;

In this manner, the force Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional detail viewillustrating the construction of the switch positioned beneath thecounter and showing schematically the wiring diagram for connecting theswitch to an alarm in the police station.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views,the reference numeral I0 generally designates the vertical wall portionof a counter [2 such as are generally used in banks in front of atellers cage, as at l4, giving some protection for the employees of abank and enabling them to perform their functions in an adequate manner.Obviously, the device comprising the present invention may be used atthe cashiers windows of various commercial establishments or at thecounters of jewelry shops and the like wherein there is likely to be acomparatively large sum of money or highly valuable and highly portablegoods attractive to thieves. The switch for actuating this burglar alarmsystem comprising the present invention is generally indicated as at l8and is adapted to be positioned against the inner surface of the wall [0beneath and coextensive with the counter I 2 no matter what convolutionsthe counter l2 may take. In this manner, the switch 18 is entirelyinvisible to the robber due to its position. The switch !8 includes alower, substantially U-shaped trough-like member 20 formed from asuitable insulative material, preferably of a synthetic resin. An upper,substantially U-shaped insulative member is inverted and positioned insubstantially embracing relationship over the member 20. The member 22may be formed out of the same or similar materials as the member 29.

Secured to and lying on the base 24 of the member 20 is a conductivestrip of metal 26 connected by suitable conductors 28 to a source ofpower 30. Welded or otherwise afiixed to the plate 25 are a series ofvertically extending contacts 32. The contacts 32 have contact heads 34at the ends thereof, the contact heads serving to retain insulativesleeves 36 concentrically in place about the major portion of thecontact rods 32.

An upper plate 48 is secured to the top 40 of the U-shaped member 22 andhas attached thereto contacts 42 which may be welded or otherwiseattached to the plate 38. The contacts 42 have contact heads 44 adaptedto engage the contact heads 34 and further capable of maintaininginsulative sleeves 46 in position concentric with the contacts 42. Thesleeves 46 are provided with collars 48 providing an insulative means ofpreventing short circuiting of the switch by the coil springs 50 whichbias the collars 48 and the plate 26. In this manner, the contact heads34 and 44 are kept in spaced relationship until force is applied againstthe resilient effect of the coil springs 50, thereby causing the contactheads 34 and 44 to engage, completing an operative electrical circuitand audible alarm 52 and, if desired, a flashing light indicative of theestablishment within which this particular switch I8 is located. In thsmanner, when the burglar informs the employee that he must raise hishands in view of the holdup, the employee can readily, standing on onefoot, raise the other foot and, unknown to the burglar, actuate thealarm 52, thereby enabling the police to apprehend the burglar andeasily saving large sums of money to these commercial establishments.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will bereadily understood and further explanation is believed to beunnecessary. However, since numerous modifications will readily occur tothose skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoingspecification and accompanying drawings, it is not intended to limitthis invention to the precise embodiment shown and described, but allsuitable modifications and equivalents may be readily resorted to withinthe scope of the appended claim.

respectively to said lower and upper members,

lower and upper contact rods attached to said lower and upper plates,insulating sleeves about the major portion of said rods, and springmeans resiliently yieldingly holding said lower and upper members withsaid lower and upper contact rods normally in spaced relationship, saidupper sleeves having collars at the upper ends thereof, said springmeans comprising coil springs concentric with said sleeves biasing saidcollar and said lower plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,233,231 Hawley et a1 July 10, 1917 1,438,592 Fraser Dec. 12,1922

